Rockets could make a dire Trae Young mistake according to absurd mock trade

The Houston Rockets made their blockbuster trade this summer by acquiring Kevin Durant. A new mock trade proposal has them making another later in the year by acquiring Trae Young, and it's absurd.

That might sound harsh. It's the reality of the NBA internet. People put their trades in the public, and it sparks outrage. This proposal will be no exception.

Athlon Sports has the Rockets acquiring Young. Here are the trade details:

Without further ado, here's why that would be a bad idea.

Rockets sacrifice identity by acquiring Young

How many words have been said about the Rockets' defensive identity?

That goes out the window if they land Young. Sure, the Rockets have the personnel to mitigate Young's defensive shortcomings. Was that the concept behind assembling this roster? Was it built to mitigate a poor defender? Or was it built to be one of the best defenses in the NBA?

If the Rockets acquire Young, their defense will slip. Sure, he should improve the offense - although even then, it's worth noting that the Hawks' Offensive Rating (113.7) was lower than the Rockets' 114.9 mark last year.

Still, it's not just Young's shortcomings that make this proposal shortsighted. It's about what the Rockets are giving up. Who knows?

They may be sending the Hawks Young 2.0 - the defensive upgrade.

Rockets should hang onto young players over Young

Can Reed Sheppard reach that level? Nobody should have a definitive opinion.

He's unlikely to gobble up Young's insane usage on the Rockets. Perhaps that's another reason to avoid Young. This roster is ill-equipped to complement his heliocentric style.

Still, Sheppard may be a facsimile of Young if you swap some offense for some defensive impact. As a similarly small guard, he'll have his struggles on defense, but he does seem to have quicker hands and sharper defensive instincts.

That's to say nothing of Jabari Smith Jr.

One could argue that he's more valuable to the Rockets alone than Young. Smith Jr. unlocks much of this team's lineup versatility. He's a skeleton key that the Rockets are clearly interested in keeping.

I didn't do a grade the trade in this case, because the grade would be "incomplete". The proposal does not indicate specifically how many picks would go out, which is an integral detail to the trade.

If it's a first-rounder and a handful of seconds? That's a C+. It's not an unreasonable suggestion, even if it's not a deal worth making.

Three firsts? That's an F. Ultimately, the Rockets ought to avoid Young no matter the price. If they do decide they need a star guard, they should look to someone who doesn't decimate their defensive identity:

For now, they've already made their blockbuster.